A CALL FOR NEW HOPE

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Written by Nwaokoro Joakin Chidozie

There is no love that is greater than this. Recently, your Foundation sponsored Diabetes Association of Nigeria in an elaborate way in Abuja and vehemently encourage us to continue in this fight for diabetes. I am assured that since you are leading this fight on diabetes in Nigeria and even beyond, Nigerians with diabetes will take a new breath.

That being said, I wish that as time goes on, you will discover NGO like mine who is equally involved in providing succour to Nigerians with diabetes through the donation of insulin and other consumables. It is a registered non- governmental, non-profit organisation whose primary aim is to go to rural areas of Nigeria where access to clinics and hospitals are limited/remote. Screen people for diabetes and attain to people who are already diagnosed with diabetes and blood pressure with a view to treating and managing them.

Most worrying are children and pregnant women who are diabetic or have gestational diabetes but no insulin treatment. We have provided hope to all they children and women whom we encountered. To provide free insulin for people who can not ordinarily afford or assess insulin or oral hypoglycaemic agents. My NGO provides these services free of charge at no cost. As a diabetes educator evangelist, I have also organised services such as seminars, workshops and conferences to teach Nurses, dieticians and interested groups who have strong passion on Diabetes Education, Management and Prevention.

Our commitment in the training and education of people with diabetes are huge and diverse. We have empowered children and women in the rural areas on how to identify high risk factors for diabetes, institute a group exercise programmes, teach smart and intelligent women on how to inject prescribed insulin, educate them on types of local foods they should eat and avoid, and where to look for help in time of need i.e. Hammer Home The Glucose. The list is endless. We have also involved religious groups by creating opportunities for us to come and speak in churches, village heads and kings to grant audience to us to speak to their people on the need to understand the symptoms and risk factors of Diabetes. We have also challenged the entire nation to believe and know that one of the major risk factor of getting diabetes is “Being Black”. As a result, anybody whether Nigerian or any black race has the propensity of being diabetic. We are not keeping quiet. Most importantly, are our foreign partners who have sworn with their insulin donations that the impact of diabetes in Nigeria would be contained. IFL USA and IFL Australia are leading the course and are solidly behind us. Help is needed to continue this fight. Both structural and financial helps are needed to make this happen.

Therefore, I call on individuals, organisations, agencies, heads of governments, members of the public, politicians to embrace this call and donate generously for this course. Empathize with these people with diabetes and offer a helping hand. We need your help to actualise this dream and give a new life to these people. You will be glad you did. In the light of this, I crave your indulgence to partner with us to actualise our dream. The die is cast. This is not the time to take tranquilising drug of gradualism. We are on the move. I know that slowly but surely we will get there if we collaborate intelligently to yield positive outcomes in Nigeria and even beyond thereby professing Diabetes in a bid to Protect Our Future.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Nwaokoro Joakin Chidozie

BSc (Hon), BSc (Hon), MPH, FEND, CDE, RN.

President, Hammer Home The Glucose.

From the left is the chair Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation, Ms Anne Welsh and, in the middle is, The president, Hammer Home The Glucose, Nwaokoro Joakin Chidozie and on the right is the Director of Health Initiatives, Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation, Ms Carlotta Olason